Microsoft would be good/bad governor

ByCompiledstaffApril 23, 2001

If the US government were run by a business, more Americans would want Microsoft to be in charge than any other company.

As for what firm they would least like to see do the job? Well, it's Microsoft.

Those seemingly contradictory findings come from a study by New York-based marketing and advertising firm Brouillard Communications."Microsoft - for all its faults - is perceived as a highly effective, can-do company," says Bill Lyddan, the company's president and CEO. Yet it "appears to have lost points for bad behavior."

About 28 percent of 1,000 people surveyed named Microsoft as their top choice to run the US; IBM was second, followed by General Motors and General Electric. On the other hand, about 12 percent named Microsoft as their least-favorite choice, followed by Bridgestone/Firestone - an obvious outcome of last year's tire-recall episode.

Supporters of the software giant cited the company's strong performance, character, creativity, and innovation. Many respondents added that the company's CEO, Bill Gates, was the reason why they'd hand over the government to Microsoft.

About two-thirds of Microsoft's detractors, however, accused the company of being greedy, monopolistic, and too big.